World Food Day Event, 16 October 2016, Ta Chey Pagoda, Svay Rieng province

Over 600 people from government agencies, the United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, communities and local authorities came together to celebrate the World Food Day 2016 in Svay Rieng province under the theme ‘‘Climate is Changing. Food and Agriculture must too.’’

Mr. Alexandre Huynh, FAO Representative in Cambodia, joined the Royal Government of Cambodia, Her Excellency Mem Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Veng Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Svay Rieng provincial governor, Representatives of diplomatic mission and NGOs on the official celebration of the World Food Day.

The theme of World Food Day this year really stimulates and increases the awareness to the public especially technicians, extension workers, and farmers on the risks caused by climate change which affect agricultural sector and people’s livelihoods and to call for mechanisms to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change. “Cambodia has achieved the MDG1: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (from 39.9% between 1990-1992 to 17.1% between 2010-2012), and decreasing to 14.2% between 2014-2016.”  However, agriculture remains a top priority based on the Government policy for the development of agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has tried to use resources and existing potentialities to improve agricultural productivity, diversification and commercialization to create job opportunities and generate income for rural households and to ensure food security and nutrition, especially to increase the agricultural product for export which ultimately contribute to poverty alleviation in country, said Her Excellency Mem Sam An.

The World Food Day 2016 is an opportunity to identify how best to respond to these challenges. “Actions to promote resilience in agriculture cut across the usual distinction between adaptation and mitigation. In fact, as we promote adaptation, we also mitigate the effects of climate change. In the COP 21 last December in Paris, most countries included agriculture in their Nationally Determined Contributions”, said Mr. Alexandre Huynh.

2016 is a year for climate action: at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015, 193 countries pledged to end poverty and hunger, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. A little over months later, 177 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC) convened in New York to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which recognizes the important of food security. The global goal for achieving Zero Hunger is 2030 – an ambitious goal, and one that cannot be reached without addressing climate change.